This invention relates to a method and apparatus for composting organic waste, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for recycling and/or converting waste organic products, e.g. rotten or spoiled fruits, vegetables and the like, together with the cardboard boxes, cartons, and/or wooden crates in which such organic waste is normally packaged and/or shipped, into usable compost on site.
Heretofore, the accumulation of waste products at various types of food establishments, e.g. grocery stores, supermarkets, large restaurants, wholesale fruit and vegetable packers, food distributors and the like, has resulted in a considerable waste disposal problem. Such waste consists primarily of spoiled fruits, vegetables and the crates and cartons in which such products are shipped. Generally, the crates and cartons, which are generally formed of wood or cardboard, had to be segregated from the spoiled fruits and vegetables and treated separately for disposal purposes. In addition, the accumulations of such waste had to be separately carted in dumpsters to various land fills or other suitable disposable areas, e.g. incinerators or the like. As landfills are being phased out in many regions, and incineration constitutes a source of air pollution, the problem of the disposing of such organic waste material and the cartons or crates in which fruits and vegetables are generally shipped is ever-increasing, rendering it ever more expensive for such establishments to dispose of this type of waste material.
As a result of this ever-increasing problem, numerous attempts have been made in an effort to solve this growing disposal problem. Some of these known efforts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,721,183; 4,830,188; 5,101,977; 5,165,612; 5,377,921 and 5,425,507. Generally, such known efforts have resulted in relatively complex and costly apparatuses and/or methods limited to treating only certain types of waste, e.g. rubbish processed into various predetermined shapes, plastic materials, municipal solid waste (MSW), organic wastes, metals, glasses and the like. Each such known system has its specific use and/or limitations, and/or requires relatively complex and costly apparatuses.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,935 granted Jun. 16, 1998, there is disclosed an apparatus wherein organic waste such as rotten or spoiled fruits, vegetables and the like, and the cardboard boxes, cartons and/or wooden crates in which they were shipped or packaged, were simultaneously disposed of by shredding to form mixture of organic waste and cardboard boxes and crates that is conveyed to a decomposition chamber in which the mixture is composted.
It has been observed that to properly compost a mixture of organic waste, i.e. waste vegetable matter mixed with cardboard cartons, boxes and/or wooden crates in which fruits and vegetables are normally packaged, that there be preferably an approximate fifty to fifty or 1 to 1 ratio of organic waste material to the carton or box material. However, due to inexperience or lack of knowledge, it frequently happens that those charged with disposing of such waste material neglected to achieve the fifty-fifty or 1 to 1 ratio of organic waste to cardboard or carton waste so as to achieve the optimum composting mixture. Therefore, those charged with the disposal of such materials for composting would frequently effect composting of the organic waste and cardboard or carton material in ratios other than the approximate preferred ratio of 1 to 1 by weight, and as a result thereof, the composting time would be unduly extended and/or not properly achieved.
This invention is directed to an improved method and apparatus for disposing of organic waste, e.g. rotten or wasted fruits and vegetables and like organic waste (herein referred to as organic vegetable waste), and the cardboard containers or crates (herein referred to as packaging waste) in which such produce are normally shipped to various grocery outlets, supermarkets, restaurants and the like from that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,935. Basically, the instant invention includes an outer shell or housing containing a component section and a connected decomposition chamber for receiving the optimum mixture of organic vegetable waste and packaging waste, and a receiving chamber for receiving only the material of the packaging waste, i.e. the cardboard boxes, cartons or crates. The carton or box receiving chamber is disposed in tandem relative to the decomposition chamber.
The component section includes a shredding station which contains a hopper or chute for directing the organic vegetable waste or the packaging waste, i.e. the cardboard container or crates, to a grinder where the waste, i.e. the cardboard or wooden containers and the organic vegetable waste are separately and independently ground or shredded into small pieces or fragments. A mixer or blender is disposed adjacent the outlet of the grinder to blend or mix the shredded organic vegetable waste and the separated, previously shredded cartons or packaging waste into a homogenous mixture. This is achieved by first shredding the cardboard or wooden containers and crates, and conveying the shredded box or crate residue by an overhead conveyor to the carton receiving chamber where it is temporarily stored. The organic vegetable waste is then directed to the grinder to be likewise ground or shredded. As the organic material passes through the grinder and before entering the mixer, it is combined with a predetermined amount of the previously shredded cardboard or wooden cartons or crates that is conveyed from the carton receiving chamber by a lower conveyer to the component section where organic vegetable waste and shredded carton material or packaging waste are proportionally mixed in a predetermined ration, e.g. 1 to 1, and fed to the mixer for blending into a homogeneous mass. The homogeneous mass or mixture of shredded organic vegetable waste and shredded boxes or carton waste is thereafter conveyed from the mixer to an overhead conveyor for discharge into the decomposition chamber wherein decomposition is initiated. In accordance with this invention, the overhead conveyor is arranged to selectively convey either the shredded cartons and/or crates material to the carton receiving chamber or alternately to convey the homogeneous mixture of shredded organic vegetable waste and shredded carton material to the decomposition chamber.
The mixture conveyed to and deposited into the decomposition chamber is then treated and aerated in a manner similar to that described in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,935 to initiate the composting process.
A second conveyor is disposed along the bottom of the decomposition chamber for moving the decomposing mass from the decomposition chamber and through the receiving chamber to a discharge outlet where it can be collected and trucked away or bagged for subsequent resale as compost or fertilizer or may be conveyed to a secondary decomposition chamber superposed above the main housing for further composting or storage. One or more secondary decomposition chambers may be stacked one on the other above the main housing. If desired, a spray may be provided within the respective decomposition chambers for introducing a predetermined amount of moisture into the respective chambers to aid in the decomposition of the waste material therein.
An object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus whereby the cardboard box or carton material is initially separately shredded and thereafter subsequently combined with the organic vegetable waste being shredded in a predetermined ratio to form the optimum composting mixture of vegetable organic waste and packaging material such as boxes and/or crates.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for separately and independently shredding the packaging waste that includes a conveying arrangement for selectively conveying the shredded packaging waste to the box or crate receiving chamber for storage or conveying the mixture of shredded vegetable organic waste combined with the shredded packaging waste to the decomposition chamber.
Another object of this invention is to provide a composting apparatus having a mixing section, a receiving chamber for receiving the shredded packaging waste, a connected decomposition chamber, and a conveyor for conveying the shredded packaging material from the shredded carton receiving chamber to the mixing station for mixing with the shredded organic waste to form a homogeneous mixture which is then directed to the decomposition chamber for composting.
Another object of this invention is to provide a composting apparatus with a conveyor for selectively conveying either the mixture of organic waste and packaging waste to the decomposition chamber or the packaging or box material only to its receiving chamber.
Another object of this invention is to provide a composting apparatus with a conveyor for automatically conveying a predetermined amount of shredded packaging waste from its receiving chamber to be mixed with a predetermined amount of incoming shredded organic vegetable waste so as to achieve an optimum combined mixture for composting.
Another object of this invention is to provide for a compact, self-contained unit that is relatively simple in construction, and positive in operation.
Another object is to provide a method and apparatus for composting a mixture of waste cardboard or packaging waste and organic vegetable waste matter to form a reusable compost material.
Another object is to provide an on-site composting apparatus for converting waste cardboard and spoiled fruits or vegetables into reusable compost on site.
Another object is to provide a process whereby the volume of waste can be drastically reduced by speeding up the decomposition cycle and recycling the resulting end product as reusable compost.
Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent when considered in view of the drawings and following description.